This is the third of Ian Sales’ Apollo Quartet – I loved both the first and the second novellas. Short books, based on a series of what-ifs around the early days of the space programme. You get the sense that if anyone could plan an Apollo moon mission today, they’d speak to Sales, although he takes the series far beyond its original scope, bringing forth the optimism and fear of space age SF together with some thankfully modern sensibilities, like what if the Mercury astronauts were women. These novellas are tight and well-crafted and a pleasure to read – and re-read. Bravo.